Destiny of the Wilting Blossom
by pinkjaguar12
Summary: The situation with Malistaire has always been dire, but when Terri, a young Life wizard just like anyone else, finds a piece of paper with Malistaire's name on it, things go from bad to worse. A new threat has reached the Spiral: Malistaire's son. IMPORTANT EDIT: There is a gap in the story. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 are the last chapters of the story.
1. The Beginning of the End

My mother died when I was very young, too young to remember her. Because my father was always busy, I was left alone for most of my childhood life. Each night, when the sky turned black, my father would return home. He would come into my room and give me lessons. On the very first night, I walked into my room and saw a symbol painted on my bedroom floor the very first night: a large circle, with eight smaller circles along its rim. In the center was an intricate design, a sort of spiral. My father appeared and stepped into one of the small circles, instructing me to do the same. I chose the one opposite him, and he began to give me my lessons in magic.

As I look back on it today, I realize that my father had a brutal way of teaching. He gave me a spell to cast, but he did not tell me how. He merely waved his hand, and something would appear in the middle of the great circle. It was sometimes a vampire-like bat, or a big cat made of flames. I would have to learn how to use my spell quickly in order to protect myself or fight back. After several lessons like this, I began to grow stronger in my magic. By the time I reached the age of ten, I had mastered spells that were meant for a much higher age. My father just nodded his head, telling me I was doing wonderfully. He said I had the makings of a true wizard. I continued these lessons until my fifteenth birthday. That was the day things went downhill.

I awoke in the bright light of the day, ready to wait until nightfall for another lesson with my father. The hours crawled by, but the sun finally began to set. I prepared for an evening of training and then took a seat in the middle of the great circle, waiting. Soon I realized something was not right. I got up and walked around, calling out to my father. I traveled outside, where the lights from a few torches barely illuminated the grounds. My father was nowhere to be seen.

I decided then to break a rule. I climbed the rocky staircase to the doorway that led to nowhere and opened it for the first time in my life. Inside it was a spiral, similar to the one painted on the floor of my room. I saw small wispy circles floating around, and as I leaned forward some began to enlarge. I saw a tree in one, a pyramid in another. Then I saw one that held a small statue of a red dragon. I did not spend much time with my father outside of our lessons, but I knew him well enough to know that he would travel to a world with dragons. I reached out my hand and touched the small circle with my finger. Instantly I was surrounded by nothingness, unable to move, but the feeling lasted less than a second, and suddenly I was somewhere else.

The small statue I had seen was now humongous, towering over me in the distance. A street led up to a square full of shops, but the place seemed abandoned and sinister. I hesitantly walked up the street, wary of every sound I heard. I saw flashes of light coming from behind a building, and I peeked around the edge of it. I saw my father standing in a circle exactly like the one painted on my bedroom floor. He was casting spells, but these were stronger and more powerful than I had ever seen. His opponent was a single girl who looked to be about my age. She had a concentrated expression on her face, but I could see the fear in her eyes. She tried to cast a spell to heal herself but it failed, causing the rest of her face to become as terrified as her eyes. My father saw the weakness and took advantage of it, waving his arms and creating a vampire in the middle of the circle. As the last of her energy was drained, the girl collapsed, defeated.

My vigorous training with my father usually ended with me in a position like that. I would have to spend hours recovering the next day, but I was alright in the end. I expected my father to come forward and help the girl up, giving her something to eat to regain her strength, just like he did with me. I was shocked, however, when my father raised his arms and cast another spell. Thinking it could be a healing spell, I watched him carry out the spell. Above him, clouds began to swirl, and three large bats swooped out of them, flying in circles. They formed a beam of energy and pointed it directly at the helpless girl. Horrified at what was going to happen, I averted my eyes just in time, but nothing could block out the dying screams of the poor girl.

I began to run back to the gateway. I had seen other worlds. I would have to go to one of them. But I knew I would never return to my home. Not after what I had just witnessed my father do. As I opened the door and touched the tree I had seen earlier, which looked like a good world to escape to, I heard my father's voice laughing evilly in the air, which I was sure could be heard no matter what world you were in:

"Beware, wizards. This is what happens to those foolish enough to confront me. This is what happens when you cross paths with Malistaire!"


	2. A New Friend

_Ten years later_

For what seemed to be the thousandth time in my life, I tried to go into the Spiral Chamber. All of the other wizards who were running by me were able to go in. Why couldn't I? Again, I met that invisible wall that prevented me from going any further. I growled in frustration and stormed away. What did those wizards have that I didn't? I was a well-trained Life Wizard, level ten. I knew as many attack spells as I did healing, and my second school was Storm, which gave me many chances at powerful attacks. I could take care of myself when it came to fighting. So why wasn't Bartleby allowing me to access the Spiral Chamber?

Annoyed, I decided to check in with Moolinda Wu to see if I was eligible for any new spells. Talking with her helped calm me down a little, but my patience grew thin when I learned I wasn't ready to learn anything "just yet". Sighing, I waved goodbye and headed outside. As I was turning towards the tunnel to the Commons, a small black dragon came out of it, flying at such a fast pace that it knocked me off balance. I hit the ground with a thud, my head spinning.

"Hey!" I yelled after the dragon's rider. "What's the big idea, bowling me over like that?"

The dragon stopped its flight at once and turned around in midair. It flew over to me and landed, allowing its rider to dismount. The rider reached down and held out his hand for me to take, pulling me back up to my feet.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said, genuine concern lacing his speech. "Ian here gets a little too caught up in flying. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I muttered, brushing dust off of my dark green robes. "Just watch where you're going next time."

"I am sorry," he repeated. "Hey, let me make it up to you. Do you need help with any of your quests? I'm a great necromancer."

"I don't need anyone's –" I stopped, realizing how rude I sounded. I looked up and got a good look at his face for the first time. He was about my age, around fifteen years old. He had a low hood on, which almost completely covered his eyes, but I could see that they were black as night. He had a tentative smile showing, trying to be friendly. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Well," I began, "I was wondering what I needed to do to gain access to the Spiral Chamber."

His smile grew larger, and he laughed a bit. "Well, I certainly can't help you there. I'm only level eleven." As my face grew sadder, he quickly added "But I know some people who can help you."

"Really?" I said, becoming hopeful again. "Who?"

He mounted his dragon and motioned for me to do the same. "Hop on. I'll show you."

I stepped forward and climbed up behind him.

"I'm Kane by the way. Kane NightWraith" he called back to me as we flew into the tunnel to the Commons.

"Terri DawnBlossom." I replied.

We emerged in the Commons soon afterwards, and he guided his dragon over to the Shopping District tunnel. After a bit of flying we arrived at a small home, connected at the walls with the other shops around it. As we dismounted, I glanced to the right and realized the house was situated near Elik's Edge, a strange place for a home. Kane led me to the door and knocked loudly on the wood. It opened to reveal a young woman with bright eyes and white-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her eyes widened when she saw Kane, and she hurried us inside without a second thought.

"So what's the deal, Kane? Anything interesting?" She started to babble as she led us into a sitting room. "Oh, I know, down on Firecat Alley, those pesky fire elves are causing trouble again, aren't they? No? Oh, wait, its Unicorn Way again. I swear, no matter how many wizards they send down there those undead just keep coming back. You defeat one, three more come back. When are they going to stop the flood of those things, I mean, honestly, you would think—"

"Debbie, it's not Unicorn Way." Kane interrupted, holding up a hand to stop her stream of words. "We have a question for you."

"Oh, now, a question for us? That's a first. Rosa, where is that tea? We have guests!"

From up the staircase I heard another woman's voice call down. "Debbie, hang on! There are these wizards outside my window and I think one of them is about to con the other one out of her treasure cards!"

"Ooh, that does sound interesting! Keep watching, tell me what happens!"

"Oh, darn, the girl just realized what was going on. Party-pooper! Hang on, Debbie, I'll be right down with the tea."

Debbie turned to Kane and began to bombard him with questions again. I sank back in the upholstered armchair, laughing at the personality of these women. In a few minutes, the woman called Rosa appeared in the doorway. She had hair the same color as Debbie's pulled back in a high bun. She wore thin blue glasses that were pointed at the ends. She held a tray with a teapot in her hands. When she saw Kane, she rushed forward and took a seat next to Debbie.

"What's new Kane? Any good gossip?"

"Kane here has a question for us, Rosa."

"A question? About what?"

Debbie turned to Kane. He leaned forward, folding his arms and resting them on his knees.

"Terri wants to know how to get into the Spiral Chamber."

"Well, there are several ways." Rosa immediately spoke up, counting the different ways off of her fingers. "There's always the option of cheating your way in. I've seen plenty of students do that before, but if Professor Ambrose caught you, you'd be expelled for sure. Then there's the regular way, by working your way towards it, though that takes time. I think that's it, unless…"

She trailed off. Debbie sighed, then said: "Oh, Rosa, don't keep them hanging. There is one more way. Rumor is that Ambrose has a job for a certain wizard. It's been said that not only will he give that wizard access to the Spiral Chamber, but he'll also unlock the portal to every other world in the whole Spiral!"

Kane shook his head. "Why would Ambrose give any student that much? It doesn't seem right."

Debbie shrugged. "All I know is that one student in Ravenwood is going to be very lucky very soon. Who knows, Terri? You might be her."

I let out a short laugh. "Me? Ambrose barely notices me."

Rosa rose and collected the tea tray. "Don't feel too discouraged, Terri. We've seen it all around here, and we know that Ambrose hasn't seen anyone with potential yet. You should go to him and see what he says. Nothing to lose if you try, right?"

She walked out of the room. Debbie led us to the door.

"Make sure to tell us if anything happens, alright Kane?"

Kane nodded, and we walked towards his dragon. The door shut behind us, but I could feel Rosa's watchful eyes on me from the upstairs window as we flew away. Something told me that this was not the last time I would be seeing Debbie and Rosa.

We reached Ambrose's office quickly. As we walked up to the door, leaving Ian to sniff around in the courtyard, I realized how silly this was. We were about to ask the headmaster about a quest meant for one specific student out of the thousands that were in Ravenwood. I had been here for almost five years, and I hadn't gotten any recognition from Ambrose, let alone a calling to be the one that accepts some monumental quest.

"Terri?"

I snapped back to the present. We were standing in front of the headmaster's door.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. "Just a little hesitant, that's all."

"It'll be fine." he said as he pushed open the door.

One quick look and I knew it would not be fine. The headmaster's office had been raided. Papers were strewn everywhere, tables and chairs were overturned. Gamma, the headmaster's pet owl, was flying around the room, trying to avoid the outstretched hands of a cave troll, which was lumbering about the room, still destroying what remained of Ambrose's office.

"Whoooever you are, please help!" Gamma hooted over to us, continuing to fly just out of harm's way.

Kane rushed forward, and I followed suit. The troll realized we were not furniture and tried to cleave Kane in two with his spiked club. Kane easily dodged it, casting a dark fairy under his arm. I pitched in with an imp, and together we quickly dispatched the troll. Gamma fluttered down with relieved hoot.

"Thank you, young wizards, thank you!"

"What happened?" I asked, surveying the wreckage.

"I was enjoying a nice peaceful slumber when I was awoken by a loud crash. I saw the troll and tried to fly for help, but it overpowered me. I was trying to avoid it when you two wizards came in. Whooo do I owe my rescue to?"

"I'm Terri DawnBlossom, and this is Kane NightWraith" I motioned to Kane, who was walking around the room, seemingly looking for something.

"Where's Professor Ambrose?" Kane called, hidden behind a toppled desk.

"He left last night. He told me he had business in Dragonspyre."

"Dragonspyre?" I asked. "Why would he want to go to such a dark place?"

"For once, I do not know what he is up to." Gamma replied.

Kane reappeared from behind the desk, a strange expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked Gamma.

"A bit shaken, but I will be fine."

"Good. I'll try to get some people to come help you clean up the place before Professor Ambrose gets back."

"You are too kind, young wizard."

Once we were outside, we approached Ian. I stopped Kane before he mounted the dragon, for he looked very peculiar.

"Are you okay? You look a bit strange."

"I'm fine." he replied, but I kept a hand on his arm.

"Kane." I said.

He sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"I found that in Ambrose's office. It was sticking out of a drawer in that desk I was looking at."

I unfolded the paper and began to read:

APPLICATION FOR RAVENWOOD SCHOOL OF WIZARDRY

Name: Murkil ShadowBane

Age: Fifteen

Chosen School of Wizardry: Death

Secondary School of Wizardry: Life

Birthworld: Dragonspyre

Mother: Sylvia Drake

Father: Malistaire Drake

At the bottom of the page, a large red stamp bearing the word "DENIED" was pressed into the paper. I stood, stunned. Kane slowly took the page out of my hands and put it back in his pocket.

"You know that business that Ambrose had in Dragonspyre?"

"Yes?" I whispered.

"I think it's going after this guy. He was probably looking at the application before he left. I think Ambrose wants to make sure Malistaire doesn't have an heir. I think he wants to get rid of the threat once and for all."

Something registered in my mind. "That application. It's old, isn't it?"

Kane nodded. "It's dated about ten years ago. That means that this Murkil ShadowBane has had ten years to train. Ten years to make himself as strong as his father."

I shook my head. "But what if he isn't? What if he's not like his father? He was going to make Life his secondary school!"

Kane scoffed at me. "So? That was probably just an act, to make it look like he meant well. This is Malistaire's son, Terri. How could he not be a vicious monster?" He turned and mounted Ian, helping me to do the same.

"Where are we going?"

"We have to wait for Ambrose to return. You want to get into the Spiral Chamber, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we wait. And hope that Ambrose finishes what was started twenty-five years ago."


	3. In With the Old

Kane dropped me off at the dorm rooms with a small smile before flying across the road to his own dorm on the other side. I stepped inside the building, still marveling at the magic of it. It looked to be a tower that could only fit two dorms from the outside, but once you stepped inside you were faced with an endless tower with a tall staircase spiraling up and out of sight. On each level a small porch led all the way around the staircase, opening into the stairs at two places. About six dorms were situated on each level. Students were running around, visiting each other's rooms and trying to fit large pieces of furniture in the small space provided to them.

As I climbed the staircase to the thirty-first level, where my dorm was, I again wished I was a higher level. As soon as I turned level fifteen I would be able to move out of this small and cramped space that I was forced to share with hundreds of other wizards. My thoughts faded away as I reached my floor. I beamed at the new spell that Ambrose had cast on the staircase. No matter how far or long you climbed, you would never tire. It would be as if you had merely climbed five steps.

As I opened the door I found a surprise waiting for me in the form of my best friend, Brianna FlameHunter, and her trusted tiger, Roxy. She was walking around the room, examining the small items that I had carefully placed on the tables around the room. I waited with bated breath as she called Roxy to her side, praying that the big cat would not knock over anything. I closed the door and Brianna whirled around at the sound. Her face broke into a grin and she rushed forward to hug me.

"Terri, I haven't seen you in a month, you know that? _A whole month!_"

I hugged her back and replied "Yeah, Bri, I know." I pushed Brianna away before Roxy saw fit to enter the embrace, since the tiger was sitting about a foot away, looking at us with indecision in her royal eyes.

"Where have you been? I tried to find you a few weeks ago but it was as if you were sleeping the day through! Fill me in on your wondrous adventures that you were having, why don't you?"

I laughed aloud at this statement. Ironic that Brianna would ask _me_ what adventures _I_ had had. Brianna was a level forty-nine pyromancer. She spent most of her time in Wizard City, but she had told me about her trips that had taken her all over the spiral. She even said that she had once had a run-in with Malistaire himself! Lately she had been trying to become a grandmaster wizard. We had met when I was just starting out and I needed some help in Unicorn Way. We had been best friends ever since.

"You know me, Bri. I wake up, check in with Moolinda Wu, try to access the Spiral Chamber, then I sulk for the rest of the day. What else is new?"

Brianna and I stood for a second in silence and then burst out laughing. When our laughter subsided, I launched my routine question that I asked her each time I saw her.

"Brianna, you know nothing has been happening here. What about you?"

Brianna's face turned from happy to frustrated.

"I thought I had finally found the quest I was looking for, Terr. I thought that if I completed it, I would earn enough experience to become a grandmaster. A grandmaster, Terr. I'm this close!" She held up her fingers, showing me. "Turns out no matter if they send you to the far corners of the Spiral or not, it still isn't considered enough experience. What do they think I have to do? _Fly_?"

She stopped and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry Terr. I know I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you, it's just—"

"Bri, you know as well as I do that I would be your friend even if you dumped Roxy on my head." We shared another laugh. "Actually, I think you could help me. It could earn you some experience."

"Terri DawnBlossom, do you think I would help you only to get _experience?_" Brianna put her hands on her hips. "What do you need Terr?"

I gestured to the exit of the dorms. "Well, first, I'd like you to meet somebody."

Kane seemed a bit shy as Brianna shook his hand. He hadn't met her eyes since we had walked in, and after shaking hands he had retreated to his crafting table, back to Brianna. Brianna, however, was undeterred. As soon as I had told her about Ambrose's search for a student to explore the Spiral, she began to ask questions non-stop. I did my best to answer them, and Kane pitched in with an occasional mumbled response.

Finally, when Brianna had run out of questions, I got up the nerve to tell her about Malistaire's son, Murkil. She gasped at this news and backed up a bit. Kane inhaled deeply, his arms straight and partially spread as he leaned against his crafting table.

"Terri, Brianna?" he murmured.

I could hear the strain in his voice. He was doing his best to keep it covered, but I could tell he was very angry. I didn't know why, but I knew that it was mine and Brianna's cue to leave.

"Yes, Kane-?" Brianna started to say, but I gently elbowed her in the side, cutting her off.

"Hey, Brianna, didn't you need to feed Roxy? She looked kinda hungry when we left."

"But I just—"Brianna stopped as my eyes warned her not to go on. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to do that this morning. I'll meet you outside?"

I nodded, and she left the room. Kane pulled me aside and started to speak in an angry whisper.

"What were you thinking, telling her about _him_?"

"She's my best friend! She deserves to know!"

"She'll tell other people! We're lucky Debbie and Rosa haven't found out by now. They're bound to get a hold of it now!"

"You think that Brianna would be that untrustworthy? She can keep a—"

"Do you know what would happen if the students here knew that Malistaire had a _son_?" Kane hissed as he cut me off. "There would be wide-spread panic, panic that not even all of the teachers of Ravenwood could control. This is already the best-kept secret in all of Wizard City. We are _not_ about to reveal it now, after twenty-five years!"

"Ambrose is going to take care of him. Even if Brianna did tell somebody, there would be no need to panic. Murkil will be dead by then!"

Kane opened his mouth to speak but was stopped short by a blood-curdling scream coming from outside. We both whirled around and bolted to the exit.

Outside was a large crowd of young wizards. They were all situated around the large circle in the center of Ravenwood, near the entrance to the Spiral Chamber. Some students stood stock still, looking stunned. Others were murmuring amongst themselves, sounding hysterical. A few older wizards were running towards the schools, calling out to the various teachers for help. Kane and I tried to push through to see what was going on, but the crowd was too large. We stumbled upon Brianna, who was trying to get out of the crowd and go get Professor Falmea. I caught her by the arm and asked her what was going on, but she was too busy trying to find a way out of the shocked crowd to give me a straight answer.

"It's horrible, Terr. I have to get Falmea. I have to get help!"

She ran off before I could get her to tell me more. By now Moolinda Wu and Professor Balestrom had been informed of whatever was going on. They rushed out of their schools and ran into the center of the circle, students parting before them to let them inside. I tried to ask students around me what had happened, but Professor Wu's hysterical cry answered my question.

"Headmaster!"

With that one word the students around me emerged from their shocked state and began to converge forward, trying to see what Moolinda was talking about. Kane and I were pushed forward along with the rest of the students around us. Total mayhem seemed to be inevitable when a soft yet strong voice issued from the center of the circle.

"Silence!" the voice called and I realized it was the voice of Headmaster Ambrose himself. His voice was small, but it carried over the crowd like a fog, muffling the students' voices and calming them down. The rest of the professors emerged from their schools and ran towards the circle, pulling out their wands as if there was something to fight. I pushed forward with all of my might and finally broke through to the front of the crowd.

I didn't understand what I saw. Headmaster Ambrose lay on the ground, Moolinda Wu kneeling next to him and trying to help him up. His robes were singed at the edges, his staff was broken in two, and he looked about two seconds away from death.


	4. Stutters and Sobs

Every student in Ravenwood was restless. They milled about in large groups, clinging to each other as if whatever attacked Ambrose would come after them next. As the teachers had half dragged half carried the headmaster to a place where he could rest, the students had followed close behind, forming a massive line that was only scattered by Professor Drake summoning two large Cyclopes to round the wizards up and send them back to Ravenwood.

Brianna had gone home to her floating castle, a grand fortress she had acquired while in Dragonspyre. She had told me it seemed like the safest place to be in a time like this. She had invited me to come with her, but I declined. I was more worried about what was going on with the Headmaster than my personal safety. Plus, Kane had had an idea. It had been almost an hour since the Headmaster had come back. Kane figured that, if anything had been whispered about what had happened, Debbie and Rosa would be the first to know. I left Brianna to the safety of her castle and followed Kane into the Shopping District.

Debbie wasn't smiling when she opened the door. Rosa was sitting in the living room, staring at her hands. She looked up as Kane walked in and gave him a tentative smile, but both of them looked the same as everyone else: afraid.

Kane opened his mouth to ask his question, but Debbie cut him off, her face grim.

"We know what you want, Kane." She sighed. "And, yes, we have the answer."

"But do you really want to know it?" Rosa chimed in, her voice small.

"Please," I said. "I know this is hard for you. But this isn't just for us. Outside, hundreds of wizards are terrified of something, but they don't know what. We need you to tell us."

Debbie exhaled heavily and sank into a cushioned chair in the corner.

"We heard it from Ambrose himself." She began. "We had hidden behind a tree, waiting for a snippet of conversation to pass by our ears. He was telling the teachers what had happened, and…." She paused as she took a breath, apparently steeling herself for what she was about to say. "We heard every word. It was horrible what we heard; much more horrible than anything we normally deal with." Debbie's eyes were starting to tear up. I glanced at Kane, and I could see that Debbie's emotions surprised him.

"Ambrose…he…he was ambushed." Debbie continued. "Attacked from behind. He was taken by surprise. He tried his best, but…"

Debbie had trailed off. I didn't understand why something such as an ambush would make Debbie, a person who would probably see one and gossip about it to the nearest person, so upset.

Rosa picked up for Debbie, for it was clear Debbie could not continue. "Ambrose was beaten. Usually the enemy would settle for that, right? Leave him there, no threat to them…" Rosa shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes too. "Poor Ambrose…I can't imagine…"

"What. Happened?" Kane pushed, trying to keep his voice level.

Rosa took a deep breath and managed to speak. "The enemy…he continued his spells. He kept at it, casting spell after spell on Ambrose. He…he could barely get to the gate in time. Can you imagine…" Rosa's voice was impossibly soft. "The…the _pain?_"

Kane stood, so suddenly he bumped the table, causing an empty tea pot on it to rattle, the sound echoing around the room. "I…We need to go."

I could understand his thoughts. Debbie and Rosa were distraught, and Kane and I had to process this new information. As we were heading towards the door, something that Rosa had said echoed in my mind, and I stopped. I stepped back into the living room, my voice quiet.

"You said 'he' when you mentioned the enemy. What did you mean?"

Rosa looked up, her arms around Debbie's shoulders. "I meant what I said. The ambush consisted of one person. It makes it all the more horrible, doesn't it? One person who was able to take down such a—"

"What was his name?" I asked, fear rushing into my heart.

Rosa looked stunned. "His name? I… I don't know."

I was about to walk out, disappointed, when Debbie took a shuddering gasp and met my eyes.

"Ambrose whispered it to Gamma when he flew up to him. I barely heard him, but I think his name was…Morshil."

"Murkil." I corrected absently. "His name is Murkil Drake."

Before Debbie or Rosa could ask me how I knew, I left the room, urging Kane to leave as fast as he could.


	5. Together Through It All

Everything was eerily silent when we arrived back in Ravenwood. All of the teachers except Moolinda Wu had returned to train more students, but no one seemed to even want to open their front door. As I started to walk towards the girl's dormitories, Kane reached out his arm and stopped me.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I started to say yes, but then everything that had happened in the past day washed over me. Ambrose was half-dead, Ravenwood was in a state of terror, and hour by hour Kane and I were learning news that could turn the world upside-down if we told anyone else. Of course I wasn't alright.

Tears started to brim in my eyes, and I did something I didn't expect of myself. I pulled Kane in close and hugged him, letting my tears flow free. He let out a startled gasp but didn't struggle. He merely put his arms around my shoulders and patted my back, whispering inaudibly in my ear in a soothing tone. We stayed like that for a few minutes, not worrying about other students or teachers. I realized that, no matter what Debbie and Rosa heard, no matter what I told Brianna, Kane and I had gotten ourselves into this, but we were in too deep to get ourselves out. We would have to stick it out, all the way to the end, no matter what the danger.

And one more thing ran through my mind, and I'm positive it ran through Kane's as well: Even though we had only met a day ago, it seemed we had been together a lifetime. And I knew that we wouldn't abandon each other, regardless of the circumstances. And as this thought passed through our minds, Kane did something that surprised _me_. He pushed me away so we were a few inches apart, then gently tilted my chin up, meeting my eyes. Without a word, he kissed me.


	6. The Final Battle

Malistaire seemed to radiate power, filling the room with a darkness that seeped into my soul. It almost made me want to fall to my knees and plead for him to spare us, but I knew we had to fight him. We had to destroy him once and for all. It was what we – _I_ was destined to do. I glanced at Kane, and his eyes met mine, taking away any fear that I had of what we were about to do. I held out my hand and he took it. Together, we stepped forward to face Malistaire.

A look of terror crossed Kane's face as the hooded figure began to pull the last of his strength from his body. He tried his best to stand but his knees gave out from under him. He sank to the ground, struggling to rise again, but it was no use. He was drained of all his energy. Kane raised his head and looked at me. His eyes were filled with fear, sorrow and pain, and when he opened his mouth he found he didn't have the energy to speak. I stood, stunned, as his eyes closed and he fell unconscious on the ground. Malistaire laughed evilly across the circle at me.

"It appears that your friend was no match for me, wizard. You shall share the same fate, _after_ I deal with him."

I didn't know what he was talking about. Kane was no threat to him. What did he need to deal with? But as Malistaire selected the spell that he would use, I realized exactly what he meant to do with Kane. Anger rose inside of me, boiling in my chest. One thing I had learned from all of my time spent at Ravenwood was this: When your enemy is defeated, do not continue to attack him. But Malistaire wasn't about to listen to a rule created in the school he was intent on destroying. He was about to kill Kane.

Rage still hot inside me, I frantically looked through my spells, trying to find anything that would stop Malistaire from destroying Kane. I was weakened, and after Kane was gone, I would surely be next. But because of my weakness, I was unable to cast any of my spells. I didn't have enough power. I tried desperately to find anything that would help me, but nothing came.

"Your time is up, DawnBlossom. I would shield your eyes."

Helpless, I watched as Malistaire began to cast the spell that would take Kane's life and empty mine. I did as I was told, covering my eyes with my hands and bracing myself for Kane's dying screams.

I cringed as a scream did fill the air, but I quickly realized it was not Kane's. Kane lay next to me, unconscious but very much alive. It was Malistaire who had screamed, a roar of rage that was so loud I had to cover my ears. His spell had failed him. I still had a chance.

I swiftly started to look through my spells again, tossing aside any that I could not use. I had one chance, one more chance to save Kane. I had to be able to find something before Malistaire recovered and cast his spell again. As I threw away another useless spell, something glistened in my hands. A golden card with a picture of two gray hearts on the front. A memory flashed through my mind, Kane standing near the entrance to Nightside, under the waterfall. He handed me a small package. _Open it_. Inside, the golden card I now held in my hand. The title of the spell seemed to glow as I removed the spell from my deck.

_Sacrifice_.

Time seemed to slow down. My fear disappeared. I looked over at Kane, at his motionless body. I saw his spell deck, scattered below his hand when he had collapsed. His powerful spells, the ones he could still use if only he had more health. The ones he could use to kill Malistaire.

My blood turned to ice. I realized now what I was destined to do. _I'm not meant to kill._ I thought as I raised my wand and began to cast the spell I held in my hand. _I'm meant to heal._

In front of me, three glowing orbs of energy appeared. They flew towards me and attacked, taking all of my remaining life force out of me. I collapsed, my energy spent, but I smiled as I saw Kane being lifted up by these same orbs, giving him my energy, increased ten-fold. He shakily stood, renewed of all his health.

By then, Malistaire had realized what was happening. His spell, intending to send Kane to his death, bounced harmlessly off of him. Kane smiled and began to cast his own spell. The same hooded figure that had almost cost Kane his life appeared in the circle, feeding off of Malistaire's energy. Malistaire stumbled back, but he wasn't finished off yet. He still had a good amount of health in him.

Kane quickly chose another powerful spell, but Malistaire beat him to it. He raised his staff, cast a spell, and directed it at me.

I don't know what spell he chose. All I could feel was excruciating pain as a spell meant to drain someone's health was used on my body, which had no health left. I couldn't sense anything, only the horrible agony of the spell, as if a million hot pokers had been pressed into my skin.

Then something happened. All of the pain stopped, but I could not see anything, save blackness. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. Was I dead? Then a small image appeared in the gloom, and as it got closer, I realized it was Ravenwood. Students were milling about without a care, when suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows, frightening most of the students into fleeing, screaming, for their dorms. At first I thought it was Malistaire, the resemblance was so striking. But I knew that by now Malistaire had been dealt with by Kane. This was a glimpse into the future, and I knew that Ravenwood would not survive an attack from Murkil.

Then I was back, the pain returning so suddenly I screamed. My vision was fuzzy, but I saw Malistaire roaring in pain as one of Kane's spells did its duty. Malistaire stumbled back, his health dissipating faster than I could blink. Then he was gone, a pillar of smoke all that was left. I had a feeling that he wouldn't return again, but I knew now that his son would succeed him. Murkil would attack Ravenwood soon, seizing control and taking over the entire Spiral. I had to warn them. But I was dying; Malistaire had made sure of that. Kane was at my side now, cradling me in his arms, distress filling his eyes and tears falling down his cheeks. He shook my shoulders, trying to get me to stay awake.

"Terri!" he called, his voice laced with anguish. "TERRI!"

There were so many things I could think to say to him. But blackness was seeping into my vision too quickly, the pain was overwhelming. As my vision became dim, as my eyes closed, as my body fell into darkness, I managed to utter a single word.

"Ravenwood."

And then I knew that Kane's confused face would be the last thing I ever saw.


	7. Repercussions

Kane urged Ian to fly as fast as he could with an injured wing. He held onto Terri with all of his might, trying to keep her comfortable. She was murmuring under her breath, falling in and out of a dazed stupor. Whenever she was partially conscious, she repeated the word "Ravenwood" under her breath, over and over, until she succumbed again and fell back into darkness. She was dying, Kane knew, and no matter what he needed to get her to Ravenwood.

After some frantic thoughts he had figured out what Terri's last words to him had meant. She would need much more than a healing spell to help her, and the only person he knew could give her help was the Life Tree, blooming year-round with cherry blossoms. It had been born and raised in Ravenwood, and it knew much more about Life wizardry then anyone, even Professor Wu. Kane would take Terri to it and ask for help. It would save her. He was sure of it.

Kane saw ahead of him the long twisting ramp leading up to the World Gate. Whispering apologies to Ian, he flew forward, balancing Terri in front of him. After a small struggle, he finally reached the door. He dismounted and wrenched it open, activating the portal to Wizard City. Squeezing Terri's hand, he whispered "Hold on, Terri. We're almost there." He climbed onto Ian and quickly flew into the door.

Kane emerged within the World Tree in an instant, but the transportation had taken its toll on Ian. He collapsed on the ground, wings twitching feebly, growling a bit in what seemed like an apology. Kane carefully lifted Terri off of Ian's back and held her in his arms. He could almost feel her slipping away from life.

"Just rest now, okay Ian? I'll get some help soon."

Ian sighed and settled down, groaning in pain as he moved his wing. Kane ran up the steps, watching to make sure Terri was comfortable. He made it to the entrance and stepped outside into the bright light of Ravenwood. Terri mumbled one last "Ravenwood" then fell silent, going limp in Kane's arms. She was fading fast. Kane began to run towards the Life School, whispering reassurance to Terri all the while. His mind subconsciously registered the spot where Terri and he had first met as he ran.

Debbie and Rosa were standing nearby, and once they caught sight of Kane they immediately stopped their gossip with other Ice wizards and began to murmur amongst themselves, probably trying to fathom what had gone on in the other worlds that they hadn't heard about. Brianna emerged from around the bend, stroking her tiger and laughing with her friends. As soon as she saw Terri, helpless and limp in Kane's arms, she sprinted over to her, leaving her confused tiger behind.

"What happened?" she asked frantically.

Kane gulped and said "A sacrifice."

Brianna shook her head. "No. She's not…"

Kane quickened his pace when the Life Tree entered his field of vision. "She's fading. Fast."

Brianna followed Kane up to the base of the Life Tree, where he gently placed Terri among the roots. He looked up at the solid bark and prayed with all of his heart that the kind face would appear for him. Suddenly the bark shifted, and two nurturing eyes leveled with Kane's.

"I rarely awaken for a Death Wizard, Kane NightWraith. What great deed do you need me—" she stopped as she realized what was lying below her.

"This one is almost gone, young wizard. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do."

"You have to try!" Kane replied.

The tree sighed. "I will try one spell. But do not be disappointed if it does not work."

Kane stepped back as a response, allowing more room for the tree to work. Brianna joined him at his side. A soft, pale pink light filled the air around the tree. Terri was lifted into the air by a gentle breeze. Her body was enveloped in a cocoon of light. After a few seconds she was laid back down again. Terri's body had remained as limp as ever during the whole process. Kane stepped forward, Brianna right behind him. As he touched Terri's cool skin, he knew what the Life Tree soon confirmed.

"Kane NightWraith, I have tried. But no spell can bring back the dead."

Kane slowly sank to his knees, shaking his head, stunned. Brianna came up behind him, tears running down her cheeks. By now, almost everyone in Ravenwood had realized what was going on, probably no thanks to Debbie and Rosa. The two Ice wizards were still whispering, but a quick glare from a Fire student quieted them. Everyone formed a semicircle around Kane, Brianna, and Terri's lifeless body.

Then Kane heard Debbie's voice shout "Look!" Pulling himself out of despair, he raised his head and looked where Debbie was pointing. There, leaning against the wall next to the Life School, arms crossed and residue of teleportation magic still evaporating around him, was Murkil himself. Kane immediately got to his feet and stood in front of Terri, protecting her body from harm. Brianna's tiger growled, and Brianna climbed onto its back, raising her wand, ready to fight, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. Everyone else backed up a bit in an attempt to get away from Murkil. Debbie and Rosa began to whisper again, while simultaneously backing up with the rest of the wizards around them.

"You." Kane stated furiously.

Murkil smirked. "Yes, it's me. Why the sad faces?"

"Because your father killed Terri!" Brianna screeched.

Murkil pushed himself off of the wall and took a step forward. "I know. But I want to help."

"Help?!" Kane cried. "You've done nothing but terrorize Ravenwood since you were born!"

Murkil's face darkened at this statement. "That's not true." he whispered.

"Of course it's true!" Brianna yelled. "Your father has been training you since day one and you've followed in his footsteps—"

"That's not true!" Murkil roared, sending many of the new wizards running into the dorm rooms. Murkil's expression was now livid.

"I didn't ask for my father to be who he is! Never once in my entire life have I wanted to do the things he has done. He trained me as a wizard, as one of you!" He gestured to everyone remaining in the semicircle. "I didn't know who he was. I didn't know until I was fifteen years old, until I witnessed him murdering an innocent girl before my very eyes!" Murkil sank back a bit, as if this memory in his mind was frightening to him. Everyone was silent, even Debbie and Rosa.

"I ran away then." Murkil continued. "I was ashamed of him; I wanted him out of my life. I came here. I came here seeking shelter from what he was, from what _I_ could become. I submitted my application. The one that you found." he pointed to Kane. "You saw what Ambrose wrote on it. I think you know why he —"

"Because you're a monster!" Kane yelled, breaking the silence. "Ambrose saw right through your lies!"

"My lies?" Murkil cried. "And what lies would those be?"

"That you would actually want the Life school as your second. That you would want to train here, to use your magic for good!"

"And how are those things lies, NightWraith? Have you ever thought about the possibility that I _did_ want those things?"

"All you ever wanted was to use this place for your own gain. You wanted to grow stronger. You wanted to be on the inside, spying for your father!"

Murkil's eyes flared. "I am _not_ on my father's side."

Kane scoffed. "Why do you keep lying? Do you really think—"

Kane's sentence was cut short as he flew back into the air, landing hard on the pavement. He looked up, dazed, at Murkil, who was holding his staff out in front of him, black smoke beginning to form around his feet. Brianna immediately conjured a helephant to keep Murkil busy while she rode to Kane's aid. Murkil waved his hands and the helephant disappeared, to be replaced by a dark fairy, which quickly flew over to Terri's body. As Brianna dismounted and helped Kane to his feet, the fairy lifted Terri with magic, carrying her over to a waiting Murkil.

"Don't touch her!" Kane screamed as he ran over to Murkil, Brianna close behind. Murkil smiled cruelly and brought his staff straight down into the ground, causing a small earthquake and a wave of black smoke that knocked the two wizards to the ground. The smoke spread, and by the time Kane and Brianna had gotten to their feet it had become a wall, solidifying around Murkil and Terri, leaving only a small gap for Kane and Brianna to see what was going on.

"Oh no." Brianna whispered when she saw what was beyond the wall. Murkil stood over Terri's body, staff raised and pointed directly at her heart.

"I didn't have to do this, you know," Murkil called out. "But you leave me no choice. I thought I could convince you." He looked around at the wall encircling him. "I guess I was wrong."

"Let her go, you monster!" Brianna screamed, but she and Kane both knew it would be no use. They watched helplessly as power began to build at the base of Murkil's staff, creeping up and down in tendrils of smoke. A low humming filled the air, growing louder by the second. Kane shook his head slowly and then closed his eyes and turned away, bracing for the worst. Brianna did the same, tightening her grip on her wand, preparing to kill Murkil for what he was about to do.

The humming turned into a loud whine and the dark tendrils stopped moving and straightened, giving as much energy as possible into the spell. A thick cloud of smoke filled the air, obscuring everyone's vision of what was going on. A flash of light illuminated everything for a moment, and then the whining suddenly stopped. The smoke cleared and Kane and Brianna raised their heads. The wall was gone. Standing about ten feet away was Murkil, his eyes filled with satisfaction. He was clutching what remained of his staff, which had been shattered from the force of the spell, and he seemed to be struggling to stand. Terri's body was nowhere to be seen.

In one act of rage, Kane and Brianna both raised their wands and fired the most powerful spell they could think of at Murkil. Defenseless and weak, the force of the two spells was too great, and he flew backwards and crashed into the wall behind him. Kane and Brianna approached with wands held high, but there was little more they could do. As soon as the cloud of dust from the impact settled, they saw that Murkil was almost dead. Kane and Brianna jumped back in surprise when he coughed and opened his eyes.

"I didn't lie." he whispered hoarsely. "I never did."

With the last of his strength he raised his arm and pointed to a spot in the shadows, near the tunnel to the Commons. Then he let out a long sigh, his arm falling to his side. He smiled slightly, and his eyes fluttered closed. His last breath was heard by no one, for a loud gasp from the shadowy corner overruled it.

I don't understand. How did I get here?

My vision is foggy. I see figures gathering around me. Who are these people? I can't see their faces. Where is Kane?

"Where's Kane?" The question escapes my mouth in a whisper. Someone hears it and pushes someone forward. He stumbles over to me.

My vision is growing clearer. I can see his face. It's filled with worry and pain.

"Kane." I breathe. He reaches out and touches my cheek, as if to check if I'm really there. I am here, aren't I? I'm alive, and I'm not hurt.

I'm alive.

The fact hits me suddenly, like an unexpected spell. I'm dead, I tell myself. No. I _was_ dead. I came back. Someone brought me back.

I feel arms lifting me, placing me onto a warm and furry creature. I hear Brianna's voice behind me. I clutch the fur with whatever strength I have left, but I know Roxy won't let me fall. I see Kane following behind us.

I'm alive. I repeat to myself. _I'm alive._


	8. Epilogue

No thanks to Debbie and Rosa, what happened yesterday in Ravenwood is now known to everyone in the Spiral.

I don't remember much after we defeated Malistaire. I only remember waking up with everyone around me. I was taken to my old dorm room to rest and recuperate, but I didn't get much sleep. Kane was by my side all night, holding my hand even as he slept. The next morning I was visited by Brianna, who had brought Ambrose with her. He confirmed that Malistaire is gone, never to return to the Spiral again. Kane was thrilled, for he now knew my sacrifice was not in vain.

Ambrose explained to me what exactly had happened in Ravenwood after Murkil showed up. Once he had secured me and subdued Kane and Brianna, he began a spell that Ambrose had thought was long gone, buried along with many other secrets underneath Bartleby's roots. It is a long forgotten spell that combines the Death and Life schools to create a spell that can only be used once. There had been myths about it being used in Ancient Krokotopia, rumors of it showing up in Dragonspyre and even Marleybone. Ambrose calls it the Death to Life Transfer, but I call it a miracle.

Yesterday, when Murkil placed his staff against my heart, he wasn't planning on destroying my body. He was going to physically transfer his life into my body via magic. And it worked. He sacrificed himself to bring me back. Knowing full well he would die that day, he came to Ravenwood and saved me. What ultimately killed him in the end were not Kane and Brianna's final blows. It was his life trickling out of his body and into mine.

We buried him near the Life Tree, underneath the night sky. The Life Tree's blossom's lit his grave with a soft light. Kane and I held each other close, and Brianna bowed her head in mourning.

I think he wanted it this way. I think that this way, he's not known for being Malistaire's son, the evil necromancer. He's known for being a hero, and people have accepted him. He finally belongs in this world. And that's all he ever wanted.


End file.
